Thursday, April 28, 2011

In Greensboro for work and right around the corner from the hotel is this great restaurant called Riva's Trattoria. It is located at 257 North Greene Street. It is a fairly small restaurant that could hold roughly 50 people. I had the Chicken Sopressata as my meal and it comes with a house salad that I had the House Vinaigrette. All the salad dressing are made in house and lots of the ingredients are local and organic when possible. The chicken was lightly breaded and had the soppresatta on top with some shredded provolone cheese. The linguine was cooked perfect also along with the pomodoro sauce that they are not skimpy with at all. Enough sauce left over in the bowl that I could use my slice of bread to finish cleaning the bowl.

For dessert I had to try the Piccolo Cannoli, which is three miniature cannolis. They had normal filling with mini chocolate chips on each end. To top it off they were sprinkled with cocoa powder and a light whipped cream on the side. These were so good that I thought about ordering another plate of them. Who knows, maybe walk over there just for dessert tonight.

The portions are perfect size for the price and they give you plenty. Price wise it is no more expensive then going to one of the chain Italian restaurants around town except you do not get the downhome feeling when you are sitting there and knowing the food is made from scratch right there.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Just about every weekend the kids request pancakes for breakfast. This morning I made some of my favorite pancakes, BACON with Granny Smith Apples. The pancake batter that I use is from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.
Here is the recipe:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
I normally add a little extra flour or milk depending on how thick you want the batter.
For the BACON and Granny Smith Apple pancakes I cook the bacon so it will crumple up easily. The apples are chopped to about half inch cubes. First, I add some butter to the pan and then pour out the pancake to about ten inches. Let it cook for two or three minutes until it looks like it is cooked halfway through and then add the bacon and apples. Flip the pancake over and finish cooking it. I have added lots of other things to pancakes, very rarely do we have just plain pancakes.
The other ways we have had them are:
bacon
chocolate chip
banana
blueberries

And, to wrap-up our day of eating that it was turning out to be we went to one of the best homemade ice cream joints around and it is Sunny Sky's Ice Cream on Highway 55 in Angier. If you show up at this place in the middle of the summer on a weekend this place is hopping with lots of people. They have over ninety flavors and two of them are filled with heat. The Exitwound and then Cold Sweat which is the one you have to sign a waiver for. Between the four of us we had Caramel Praline, Key Lime Pie, Watermelon Sherbet and Cotton Candy. They have been featured on Food Network show - Kid in a Candy Store. If you are in the area you need to stop and check this place out and don't forget your cash or you are out of luck. Cash only.